The InLaws
by AJ Rayne
Summary: Jag brings Jaina and her family to his home to meet his parents...
1. Part One

**The In-Laws: Part One**

**_Fel Compound, Csilla_**

****

Baron Soontir Fel stared down at the viewscreen that was filled with the hopeful, but still nervous, face of his son.  When Jagged had left the Unknown Regions with his squadron to learn more about New Republic and offer Chiss support, Soontir had thought his son was the best choice for the task for he trusted Jag's judgment and observations.  When he sent Jag back to the New Republic a second time, Soontir had had his doubts, but he believed that Jag's sense of duty would bring him back to Csilla.  No one was more surprised than he when Jag requested an open ended return to Chiss Territories in order to continue offering support to the Galactic Alliance…and, Soontir would eventually learn, to Jaina Solo.

With his sense of honor, duty, and his talent for flying, Jag had been a strong student at the Imperial Academy and he was walking the straight path to the Imperial Remnant leadership.  Having grown up with the Chiss, Jag was self-assured and strong-willed and Soontir was not afraid to admit that he believed Jag would surpass him one day.  Soontir's hopes for him were high—still remain high—but he definitely did not expect this to happen.  Soontir had prepared himself for the possible death of his son, but this…this was a different situation altogether.  Soontir had always considered Jagged the child that was the most similar to him which was why, in his light moments, he wondered how he could _not have seen this happening.  After all, he'd fallen in love with Jag's mother despite her own connections to the Rebellion and married her anyway.  _

"So what do you think, Father?" Jag prompted.

The sparkle in Jag's green eyes had dimmed considerably as Soontir's silence stretched past comfortable levels.  He ran a hand through his much longer black hair, the white streak getting lost in the thick black strands.  Soontir hadn't expected the Rebels to influence his son as much as they already had, but the zipper of Jag's flightsuit was unzipped halfway down his chest and Soontir soothed his temper with the observation that at least the part of Jag's undershirt that was exposed was a clean, unstained white.  He had a hard enough time believing that Jag had let his hair grow as long as it did but again calmed himself down by saying that at least the boy's jaw was clean.  

"Father?" Jag said again, his jaw tense.

Soontir sighed and fought the urge to run a hand over his face.  "Of course, Jag.  The Solos are welcome to come."

The smile Jag offered his father was tight.  "Thank you.  I'll be sure to share your…enthusiasm.  Tell Mom and Wyn I will see them soon."

Soontir stared at the blank screen for a heartbeat as Jag cut the connection without a word of goodbye.  Syal found him sitting there and she put a gentle hand on his shoulder, her expression questioning.

"Have a seat, Syal," he said tiredly.  "I've got some news for you."

**_MilitaryBarracks, Mon Cal_**

****

Jag leaned back in his seat, propping his feet up on his desk as he twined his fingers together, resting his hands on his flat stomach.  He'd severed the communication with his father half an hour before but hadn't left his seat since then.  He wasn't surprised with his father's reaction to what he had to say, but it didn't make him any less disappointed.  It had taken him a lot of courage to finally ask Jaina to marry him, especially considering all that they face by getting married in the first place.  An Imperial Chiss pilot marrying the daughter of Han and Leia Solo, the niece of Luke Skywalker, and a Jedi fighter pilot in her own right.  It was an interesting match, to say the least, which was why they were keeping it a secret until their families had met.  Hence, the necessary phone call to Csilla.  

A small part of him had hoped Soontir would at least offer some semblance of congratulations, but all Jag had gotten from his father was a disbelieving stare that quickly turned into a careful expression of detachment.  It was a look Jag had seen before, just never aimed at him.  It was a look he'd come to recognize as one his father put on when he had to give an answer that he felt went against his better judgment and for Jag, it rankled.  He had been missing home since he'd left it but after that conversation, he was actually not looking forward to seeing his family again.  He wasn't sure how his mother would react but he doubted she wouldn't differ much from his father.  He'd initially planned to speak to her as well but after speaking to his father, Jag hadn't the strength to face her reaction as well.

He was still in the same position when Jaina found him.  She leaned against the open doorway of his quarters for a moment to see if he would sense her presence, but he didn't turn his head, his thoughts a million light years away.  On silent feet, she crept up behind him and put a hand on his head, but before she could touch him, his hand came up to grasp her wrist and he pulled her down onto his lap before she could react.  Laughing, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Sneaky," she said.

"Trust me, I don't deal with all sneaks this way," he said, idly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Good or else I think we'd have a problem."

Jaina grinned at him but it faded when she did not get an equal response from him; instead he looked off to the side, his expression studiously blank.  There was a shadow over his face that she hadn't really seen before and she put a hand on his cheek to draw his attention back to her.  He couldn't seem to hold her gaze and her eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong?  What's happened?"

"I talked to my father," he said flatly.

Jaina froze and she slid off his lap.  She went to sit on the edge of his bed and he swiveled in his seat to face her.  

"He's not throwing us an engagement party then, is he?" she said.

"How soon can we leave for Csilla?" 

"As soon as Dad makes sure the Falcon isn't going to fall down around our ears," Jaina said.  "I'm sorry, Jag."

He merely nodded.  "If you don't mind, Jaina…"

She understood what he wanted and stood.  She pressed a kiss to his forehead and left the room, making sure the doors slid shut behind her.  Jag went back to the position he was in before she came in, silent and still as a statue, the only life in the room the obstinate gleam in his green eyes.

**_Diplomatic Quarters, Mon Cal_**

****

"I don't imagine he'd been too excited to have us as houseguests," Leia said thoughtfully.

"Rebel riff-raff," Han said, spooning some food onto his plate.  "I don't suppose the fact that your mother is a Princess would make much of a difference?"

Jaina shrugged.  "It really shouldn't matter at this point, Dad."

"I'm kidding, Sweetheart.  I'm sure whatever's on Soontir's mind, it's pretty much what we're thinking too."

The warning look Leia threw her husband was too late and Jaina visibly bristled.  Seated across from his sister, Jacen sighed, the spoon that had been making its way to his mouth freezing in midair.  

"Lay it out, Dad," Jaina said, her voice low and dangerous.  

"Don't get angry, Jaina," Leia soothed, though she knew it was probably useless at this point.  "Your Father and I do like Jag.  He's a good man and he's good for you…"

"But," Jaina prompted.  "He's an Imperial right?  And Dad was a smuggler.  And you were all rebels.  We all have our titles, Mom, but I thought that after all that's happened, we've moved beyond that."

Han looked at Jaina and she saw a seriousness on his face that deepened the lines that fanned out from the corners of his eyes.  "I knew Soontir Fel, a long time ago, and we know now all that he was a part of.  He's a tough man to like, Jaina.  Jag's a chip off the ol' iceberg."

"Don't judge Jag by his father, Dad."

"I haven't," Han said, his brow furrowing.  "But I can't help but see the similarities between him and his father.  I didn't say Baron Fel was a bad guy; let's just say that we never saw eye to eye."

Jaina understood now why Jag had been so quiet and troubled earlier.  When they'd told her parents they were getting married, surprised silence was the initial response but then Han and Leia congratulated them heartily, hugging Jag and welcoming him into the family.  They hadn't talked to her about it since, and now she knew why.  She should have known that nothing was that easy.  

"No, you haven't—I'm just surprised, that's all.  You haven't said anything about Baron Fel before, not really.  I knew the fact that Jag is an Imperial would raise some questions, but…What do you think, Mom?"

Leia looked as if she had a lot on her mind but she offered Jaina a small smile.  "Don't ask me.  I married a smuggler."

Despite the situation, Jaina couldn't help but laugh at that.  "We sure know how to pick them."

"Hey, don't knock it, Kid," Han said, shaking a finger at her. 

"We just want you to be happy, Jaina," Leia said.  

"And if that means we have to learn to play nice with Baron Soontir Fel and his family, we'll play," Han finished with flourish.

Jaina nodded and turned her attention to her twin brother who remained silent throughout the discussion.  Jacen was idly pushing his food from one end of the plate to the other, his expression thoughtful.  She reached out to him in the Force and he looked up with a serene smile.

"I trust you," he said simply.

She never wanted to hug him so badly in her life.  "You'll come then?"

Jacen blinked.  "You want me to come?"

"You've already met them," Jaina pointed out.  "You're the one Solo who has dealt with both sides and that should facilitate the meeting, I think."

"It's not a diplomatic assembly, Jaina," Jacen said wryly.

Jaina glanced at her parents, her father's words echoing in her head.  "I wouldn't be too sure about that."


	2. Part Two

**The In-Laws: Part Two**

**_Millennium Falcon-In Transit_**

Jag watched Jaina's fingers tap a nervous tattoo on the armrest.  They moved with incredible dexterity and he found himself wondering if she was going to strain her fingers if she kept it up.  As he watched, he felt his own nervousness stirring and rubbed his freshly cut hair idly, feeling the short bristles against his palm.  He thought maybe if he kept a few things about himself the same, his father would find one less fault with him—besides staying away from home too long and marrying into the family that played an enormous part in bringing the Empire down.  It was a desperate move, but he had to admit he was turning into a desperate man.  They were three days out of Mon Cal and the walls of the _Millennium Falcon_ seemed to be closing in on them.  The rest of the ship's occupants seemed to be fine, but Jag was sure that they had their own thoughts on the matter.  

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jaina turn towards him and he reached out to hold her as she slid to his side, leaning her head against his shoulder and wrapping one arm around his waist.  

"I would rather face three Vong Squadrons," she said simply.

"Me, too," he said.     

"They're really worried," Leia said, glancing at the couple on the viewscreen as the _Falcon_'s security cameras switched from one view to the next.  "They haven't spoken a single word in over an hour.  They're just…sitting there."

"That doesn't surprise me," Han said.  "Jag knows his father and he knows this visit could quickly turn into a disaster.  Remind me why we're doing this again."

"Because Jaina is going to marry into that family and I want to know what she's getting herself into," Leia said firmly.  "I still can't believe she's marrying an Imperial pilot."

"Yeah, I thought that after we'd been through nothing can surprise me anymore.  I should have known only a Solo would find a way to remedy that.  Maybe the Solo luck will hold and maybe Fel's loosened up a lot since he's had the time to have five kids."

"Do you think you've loosened up?"  Leia smirked.  "Actually, if you loosened up even more than you had when I first met you, you'd be boneless."

Han reached out and took a brown curl between thumb and index finger, giving it a light pull.  "You sure haven't changed much."

Leia smiled.  "That's nice to hear."

"I mean, a few wrinkles here and there, and I think I saw a couple more gray hairs…"

With a shriek of laughter, Leia delivered a few well-placed blows on her husband's raised arms.  He got a good grip on her arms and pulled her out of her seat and into his arms.  Their eyes laughed into each other and Han kissed his wife for the millionth time in their long relationship.

"I can only hope that Jaina and Jag will have what we have," Leia murmured, patting her husband on the cheek.

"I guess I should warn Jag then, huh?"

Leia laughed and eased back into the co-pilot's seat.  "You like him, don't you, Han?"

"Yeah, once he relaxed he turned out to be  pretty good company," Han admitted, albeit reluctantly.  "The only problem I have with him is…"

"…he's marrying our little girl," Leia finished for him.  "You know what, Han?  I think that no matter what happens on Csilla, they're going to go through with it.  Jag's showed that he's willing to walk that extra parsec for Jaina just by staying with the Galactic Alliance for as long as he has."

"You think she's the only reason he's stayed?"

Leia cocked an eyebrow.  "What else is there for him?  He's not an adrenaline junkie and he sure isn't a spy or diplomat.  Maybe he feels some sort of responsibility, as a pilot, in defending this universe against the Vong, but for the most part I think he just wants to protect our daughter."

"Gotta like a guy who does that," Han said, leaning back in his seat and clasping his hands behind his head.  "Just brace yourself for Fel, that's all I gotta say."

"What did he ever do to you?"

Han sighed and he started to tell her, but a little voice in his head, which sounded remarkably like Leia, told him not to air out bad laundry so he merely shrugged.  If anything, Leia would probably get along with the Baron better than Han ever did.  

**_Fel_****_ Compound, Csilla_**

****

Wyn came into the sunroom with a handful of ice lilies fresh from the greenhouse.  Her cheeks were pink from the cold but her green eyes danced as she smiled at her father.

"When are they going to get here?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

The Baron took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face.  "Sometime tonight, Wyn.  Don't you have studying to do?"

"No," she said, putting the lilies in an empty vase near the large windows that overlooked the icy mountains of their home.  "I couldn't sleep last night so I did my work then.  I'm just so excited to see Jag again!  And his wife!"

"They're not married yet," Soontir said.

"Will they get married here?" Wyn asked, her eyes lighting up with the prospect of a party.  "Oh, Daddy, that would be so much fun!"

Soontir looked at his daughter over the report he was trying valiantly to finish reading.  Dressed in her black Imperial uniform and her bright blonde hair tied back in a severe bun, Wyn looked the part of a proper cadet if not for the positively gleeful expression on her beautiful face that contrasted sharply with the straight lines of her clothing.  Soontir knew that the time would come when every single male within the vicinity who was too stupid to be afraid of him would be coming to knock on their doors to see Wyn and he had to wonder how Han Solo felt when he found out his daughter was going to marry the last man that Solo would have ever picked.  A smile started to crease his handsome face but then Soontir wondered what would happen if Wyn brought home a Rebel.  He shuddered at the thought.  He was having a hard enough time getting used to the idea of Jagged getting married to a Solo, but daughters were different from sons…

"When are they getting married, Daddy?" Wyn asked, sitting down on the armchair across from Soontir's desk with a little hop.

"Jagged didn't tell me," Soontir said patiently.  "I am trying to finish reading here…"

His words didn't seem to have much affect on the teenager.  "I've seen pictures of her," Wyn interrupted.  "She's pretty.  Kinda scruffy though."

"It's hard to maintain a good hairstyle and keep your makeup on when you're underneath a helmet for hours at a time," Syal said coming into the room with an armful of yellow roses.  "Come on, Wyn, let your father finish his work so he won't run away to do it while your brother is here."

"I don't run away," Soontir groused, giving his wife a dark look.

Syal patted Wyn on the shoulder as the girl passed her at the doorway and she smiled at her grumpy husband.  Her smile, a simple movement that brightened her face and whatever room she was in, had always lightened whatever mood Soontir was in and today was no different.  He gave her a reluctant smile and took her hand as she passed by him, pressing a kiss to her palm.  

"Jagged just contacted us," she said, eyeing the vase of ice lilies that Wyn had rearranged rather haphazardly.  "They'll be here by dinnertime.  Cem should be home soon, too.  He doesn't want to miss the big homecoming."

"How did Jag look?"

"Haggard, worried, much how you look, Soontir," she said reproachfully.  

"Aren't you worried?" he asked.

"Not as much as you are," Syal said.  "Jacen Solo and Luke Skywalker did not seem like crazed Rebel spies when they were here, so I would imagine that the rest of their family is more or less the same."

Soontir's response to that statement was a grunt.  Syal sighed and turned to leave.  

"Just remember that he's our son," she said, glancing over her shoulder.  "No matter how you feel about where Jaina Solo has come from, Jag loves her and that's what's important."

"I'm not much of a romantic, Syal."

"Don't I know it," she said dryly.  "You don't have to be a romantic, Soontir.  Just be reasonable.  This is what he wants."

Soontir watched his wife walk away so she was out of an earshot when he muttered, "Easier said than done."

****


	3. Part Three

**The In-Laws: Part Three**

**_Millenium_****_ Falcon, Csilla-In Transit _**

****

Csilla was as forbidding as its people.  Jaina shivered as she looked outside the windows of the _Falcon, at the ice fields below and the snow capped mountains surrounding them.  Jag stood next to her, his shoulder brushing against hers and his expression as cold as the weather outside.  The closer they got to his home, the more quiet he became and the more forbidding his expression.  Jaina turned and met her twin's eyes as he came to stand on Jag's other side._

"You must be happy to be home," Jacen said easily, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his Jedi robe.  "It's been a while since you were back, hasn't it?"

"It has," Jag said, not looking at either of the twins.  "And I am happy to be home."

"You say that with the same expression you would have used had you said you wanted to die," Jaina said wryly.

Jag looked down at her, a corner of his mouth reluctantly quirking upwards.  "I'm just not looking forward to what my father has to say, that's all."

Jaina patted her shiny brown hair, arranged into a neat bun by her mother's skillful hands.  Leia had wanted to do a more elaborate hairdo, but Jaina had her limits.  She'd seen what her mother could do.  Jag followed the movement of her hand with his eyes.

"You look nice," he said.

Jaina glanced at her brother as if to say, _that's the best I'm going to get out of him_, and she smiled.  "Thanks.  I'm doing my best to put down the 'scruffy rebel pilot' reputation that's been following me around."

Jag laughed outright at that and he put an arm around her.  "Look over there, over the ridge," he said.  "You'll be seeing the compound in a few seconds."

"Compound?" 

He gave her an arch look, playing the part of the arrogant fighter jockey.  "We don't do things small around here."

"And he's not lying," Jacen said, keeping his eyes on the horizon.  "There's the Fel Compound."

"Wow," Jaina breathed, pressing her nose against the glass of the porthole.  

"Nice digs, Kid," Han said over the intercom.  "Come up here and say hi to your parents."

Jag seemed to gather himself together before leaving the rec room.  Jacen went to stand next to his sister.

"Let the games begin," he said with not a bit of amusement in his voice.

In the cockpit, Jag felt the weight of Leia's and Han's stares.  He sat at the navigation console and put on the earpiece as his father stared up at him.

"Father," he said with a small nod.

"Jagged," Soontir said.  "Lead them to docking bay 3.  I'll be there to meet you."

"Thank you."

Jag turned to the Solos and found Leia's observant brown eyes focused on him.  He wasn't even going to try to put up a façade when she had clearly heard the short and uncomfortable exchange between him and his father.  She did smile gently at him and he acknowledged her with a nod, which seemed to be the only gesture he was able to make the closer they got to his home.

"What are the coordinates?" Han asked, unaware of the exchange behind him.

Jag gave him the coordinates and went up behind Leia's seat, resting his hands on the back of the chair.  No matter his feelings, he always loved this part about returning home.  The Fel Compound filled the viewscreen as the _Millennium Falcon_ got closer and Jag didn't blink as the faint rays of light caught the ice that had frozen on the compound's steel surface.  Half of his home was built into the side of the mountain and the part that was showing was impressive in its size.  Two towers flanked the main body of the compound which was a simple rectangular shape but the corners and edges of the structure was blurred by the snow and ice covering it.  Soontir Fel had known what he was doing when he'd retreated to the mountains of Csilla and if someone looking for the Fels did not know where to look, it would be easy to miss the Compound.  Jag always saw his home as a secret that few knew about and he was proud of that fact.  Memories of his childhood, of his family, filled his thoughts as his eyes took in the one place he'd always called home.

**_Fel_****_ Compound_**

****

The _Millennium Falcon_ touched down on the docking bay's polished floors and Soontir was more worried about the floor than he was about the vehicle.  Legendary though it was, the _Falcon was older than his oldest son and looked it.  Han Solo must be some kind of miracle worker to be able to get that thing off the ground at all, hyperspace voyages notwithstanding._

"Wow," Cem said at Soontir's side.

Soontir glanced sideways at his son.  Like his siblings before him, Cem was making a mark for himself at the Academy but he was more mischievous than Jag and his green eyes always seemed to be sparkling with some kind of unholy glee.  They were sparkling now as he regarded the _Millennium Falcon_ and the people disembarking from it.  

"Jag!" Wyn yelled, forgetting all that her father told her about acting properly and running towards her brother.

Jag dropped the duffel he'd been carrying as Wyn threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him over with her welcome.  Syal was right on her daughter's heels and she reached up to draw her tall son into her arms and Soontir was sure that she was close to tears.  Cem looked at his father, a blond eyebrow arched in question.  Sighing, Soontir conceded defeat and nodded his permission.  Cem joined the rest of the family in greeting Jag, patting his brother on the back boisterously.  Moving much slower, Soontir started towards them.

The Solos were watching them with something akin to astonishment, but Leia Organa Solo quickly recovered and she turned her attention to Soontir.  She held out a hand as he approached, a genial smile on her face.

"Baron Fel," she said, her low melodious voice at perfect diplomatic pitch.  "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Princess Leia," Soontir said, bowing over her hand.

Han came up behind Leia's shoulder and Soontir looked at the man he'd last seen as a rakish teenager at the Imperial Naval Academy.  Judging by the crooked smile on Han's face, Soontir doubted he had ventured far from the kid he'd been.  

"Nice to see you again, Fel," Han said easily.

"Likewise, Solo," Soontir said, his eyes narrowing.

"Father," Jag said.

Soontir looked away from Han to face his oldest son.  Jag was looking at Soontir warily as if expecting to be dressed down right then and there.  Despite his misgivings, Soontir was happy to see Jag and allowed some of that pleasure to show on his face as he smiled.  Jag visibly relaxed and he took the hand his father offered.  

"It's good to have you home, Jagged," Soontir said formally.

"It's good to be home, Father."  He reached beside him and pulled to his side the young woman who was hovering nervously behind him.  "This is Lieutenant Colonel Jaina Solo…my fiancée."

Jaina stood with her back ramrod straight and her hands clasped in front of her.  If Soontir hadn't known she was a decorated pilot who led her own squadron, he would not have been able to guess at it.  It was a testament to her upbringing that she exuded nobility and politesse, but Soontir could see the apprehension in her brandy brown eyes but her gaze did not waver as she met his eyes.  He appreciated that fact.  

"Baron Fel, thank you for having us," she said, her voice reminiscent of her mother's.  

Jaina wanted to melt into the floor.  Her mother had made the family attend many Republic functions and after the debacle on Hapes, she thought she could handle anything, but under Baron Fel's green gaze, she wanted to run behind her father and hide—or even to just look away but something told her that doing that right now would not win her any points.  Looking at him was like looking at Jag's future but Jaina hoped that Jag would not have the same kind of hardness that was on his father's face.  The rest of Jag's family were warmer than she expected, especially considering how the head of the household was.  Cem was a younger, blonder version of Jag and Jaina was sure he was flirting with her a little bit.  Their younger sister Wyn was a firecracker who was familiar enough with Jacen to state that he and Jaina looked nothing alike.  

Jaina felt herself relaxing somewhat until formal introductions went around the group and, whether consciously or unconsciously, the two families moved so that they faced each other along an invisible line, Fels vs. Solos.  She'd seen the look that had passed between Baron Fel and her father and she wondered what exactly that would mean for later.  

Syal played the part of the hostess well and without fuss and bother managed to usher them into the sitting room without losing anybody.  Drinks and appetizers were arranged around the room and they were invited to move around in a more relaxed atmosphere.  Soft music was being piped into the room though Jaina did not recognize the genre, she did find it pleasant.  

"If memory serves, this is the first time you have been on Csilla, save for Jacen of course," Syal said, as she handed Leia a glass.

"Yes, it is," Leia said.  "I've been on other ice worlds before, like Hoth, but Csilla is definitely nothing like it."

"How so?" Wyn asked, fixing a curious gaze on Leia.

"Hoth wasn't quite as icy," Leia answered.  "Everywhere you looked there was just snow and you usually couldn't leave anything outside for long before it was completely covered with it."

"What were you doing on Hoth?" 

Jaina saw her mother's eyes widen imperceptibly as she realized they were treading on slightly sensitive ground.  She started to answer when a crash drew everyone's attention to Jag.  He picked up a napkin and mopped up the mess as a droid came out from the wall to sweep up the shards of broken glass.

"Sorry," he said, a reddish stain appearing on his cheekbones.  "Slipped."

Wanting to laugh out loud, Jaina busied herself with staring at the contents of her glass as Jag poured himself another drink.

"Nice move," she murmured.

"It was my backup plan…now if something else happens, I won't know what to do."

"How was the trip?  Not too much trouble, I hope," Soontir was saying as Jaina bit back her laughter.

"It went much smoothly than the last few trips we've taken," Leia said dryly.  "Fortunately."

"The _Millennium Falcon_ is something else," Cem piped up.

"She's still good for it," Han said loyally standing up for his ship.  "Working on her is very therapeutic, as long as you know what you're doing of course.  Nowadays, only Jaina and I can handle her intricate circuitry."

"You work on ships, Jaina?" Syal asked.  "You could probably show Jag a thing or two then."

"I could, but then he'll feel the need to fly circles around me just to prove that he can do _something_," Jaina said.

Cem and Wyn laughed, not used to hearing their brother being put down by someone outside of the family.

"I could get used to you," Cem said to her.  


End file.
